1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method and a device for revising an aircraft flight plan.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many aircraft flight plans are generated by a flight management system with which the pilot dialogues through two interfaces:
a navigation display (ND) screen on which the route of the aircraft is shown in a horizontal plane on the basis of way points that the pilot selects when preparing the flight, and PA1 a multicontrol display unit (MCDU) enabling dialogue between the flight management system and the pilot, in particular enabling the pilot to enter way points defining the flight plan and to modify the flight plan subsequently, if required. PA1 A first stage to select the way point from which a modification is to be made ("FROM WPT"); this first stage involves pressing a page call key ("FPLN") to display way points on the MCDU screen and then to select one of these points. PA1 A second stage to choose the type of revision to be made to the flight plan; depending on the type of revision, the pilot must: PA1 A third stage to select the way point at which the revision ends ("TO WPT"): this stage involves entering a way point identification code (by entering alphanumeric characters via the keyboard) and then validating the selected point. Validation usually creates a temporary flight plan. PA1 A fourth stage to confirm or cancel the flight plan revision; this stage requires operation of a keyboard function key - "confirm" or "cancel". This returns to the flight plan page on the MCDU screen showing on the ND screen the modified flight plan if the "confirm" key is pressed or the original flight plan if the "cancel" key is pressed. PA1 a sensitive area associated with each point on the navigation display screen, PA1 dynamically assigned function areas used to construct menus, the function assigned to each area being variable from one menu to another and shown on the screen in corresponding relationship to that area, PA1 a message area associated with each menu, and PA1 a cursor moved on all points of the navigation display screen by action of the pilot on the designator device whereby the cursor can be moved to a function area or a touch-sensitive area, the function represented by said function area being activated or a point of said touch-sensitive area being selected by action of the pilot on the validator unit of the designator device, which method comprises the following phases: PA1 a first phase of selecting a particular revision mode from various revision modes offered by a main menu by moving said cursor to the corresponding function area and validating, this action clearing said main menu and replacing it with a secondary menu specific to the selected revision mode, PA1 a second phase of selecting the required way points on the navigation display screen to create a temporary flight plan, said second phase comprising (depending on the revision mode selected) the choice of a way point from which the revision is to be made and the choice of a way point at which the revision is to terminate, said choices being made by using said designator device to move said cursor to the sensitive area associated with the point in question and then validating, whereupon the system assigns the way point an identifying pattern, and PA1 a third phase for confirming or cancelling the revision by moving said cursor onto a confirm function area or a cancel function area and then operating said validator device, the system then displaying the new flight plan (confirm) or the old flight plan (cancel). PA1 the pilot always works on the same medium, namely the ND screen, i.e. a graphic medium constituting the final display medium; PA1 as this medium is a head-up medium, head-down actions (or alternating head-up and head-down actions) are eliminated; PA1 the actions performed by the pilot on the pad are simple, quick and carried out in a sequence guided by means of messages. PA1 a sensitive area associated with each point on the navigation display screen, PA1 dynamically assigned function areas used to construct menus, the function assigned to each area being variable from one menu to another and shown on the screen in corresponding relationship to that area, and PA1 a cursor moved on the navigation display screen by action of the pilot on the designator device whereby the cursor can be moved to a function area or a touch-sensitive area, the function represented by said function area being activated or a point of said touch-sensitive area being selected by action of the pilot on the validator unit, PA1 a first phase of selecting a particular revision mode from various revision modes offered by a main menu by moving said cursor to the corresponding function area and validating, this action clearing said main menu and replacing it with a secondary menu specific to the selected revision mode, PA1 a second phase of selecting the required way point on the navigation display screen to create a temporary flight plan, said second phase comprising (depending on the revision mode selected) the choice of a way point from which the revision is to be made and the choice of a way point at which the revision is to terminate, said choices being made by using said designator device to move said cursor to the sensitive area associated with the point in question and then validating, whereupon the system assigns the way point an identifying pattern, and PA1 a third phase for confirming or cancelling the revision by moving said cursor onto a confirm function area or a cancel function area and then operating said validator device, the system then displaying the new flight plan (confirm) or the old flight plan (cancel), PA1 which device comprises a designator device provided with a validator device, said designator device being connected to the processor of the flight management system of the aircraft in order to obtain on the navigation display screen of said system, in addition to the geographical representation of the flight plan initially selected by the pilot: PA1 a touch-sensitive area associated with each point of the navigation display screen, PA1 dynamically assigned function areas for constructing menus, the function assigned to each function area being variable from one menu to another and indicated on the screen in corresponding relationship to the function area, and PA1 a cursor moved on the navigation display screen by action of the pilot on the designator device so that the cursor can be moved to a function area or a touch-sensitive area, activating the function represented by the function area or selecting a point of said sensitive area being achieved by action of the pilot on the validator device.
Any such modification is usually carried out in several (at least three) stages each involving one or more actions of the pilot at the MCDU keyboard:
either press a function key of the keyboard, PA2 or call up a revision page.
A first drawback of this method is the need to enter characters on an alphanumeric keyboard to modify a map display.
It also requires the pilot to monitor two display screens, the ND screen of the flight management system which is usually a head-up display and the MCDU screen which is of the head-down type.
What is more, the logical relationship between the actions of the pilot on the keyboard keys and the pages displayed on the screen is not at all obvious.
A particular object of the invention is to eliminate these drawbacks.
To this end it proposes a revision method using the map display associated with a designator and validator device.